YA and Children’s Fantasy

Raisa is heir to the throne, but power hungry wizards are conspiring against her and the power she is destined for.

A nation ruled by queens – a queendom instead of a kingdom – where power is passed from mother to daughter and women are accepted as equals in political, economic, military, and educational matters. The series is never preachy, but a powerful reminder of what could be.

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Elixir Bound is centered around a world that was created by Mother Nature and is populated by people who worship her. Within that world, Katora Kase must decide if she will become guardian of a secret healing Elixir and bind herself to its magic. It also features strong female characters with Kylene Kase and Zelenka of the tilli demicks, who accompany Katora on her quest.

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Our hero Sonoria, is a girl on the cusp of her womanhood, a small god who discovers her gifts of willful strength, a slave who refuses her bondage to her masters or their traditions. Once free, she grows into her fullness as a warrior and as woman. Her credo: Question authority, deny their answers, love your freedom.

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This is a coming-of-age story told in first person by a female protagonist. There is a frank discussion of sex and female choice in the matter.

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This book has an ensemble cast of mostly-female queer characters. It’s set in the near future where the world is threatened with destruction by nuclear apocalypse and these gals plus one bi guy have to travel through time and use powers given to them by the gods to save the world. The characters are written in a very realistic way, it makes you wonder, if I were a gay teenager given a magic amulet and told to save the world, could I do it? Wonderful stuff.

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The main characters are an elderly woman and a young, feral girl. Both play a major role in a battle that threatens the city they live in. Both are portrayed in a way that is realistic despite the fantasy world around them.

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All of Terry Pratchett’s works make for fantastic reading, but the Tiffany Aching books in particular (of which The Wee Free Men is the first) have a wonderfully strong feminist message.

When trouble threatens her land nine-year-old Tiffany takes it upon herself to act and save the day. For such a seemingly overused setup, the novel approaches it in a way I have not seen elsewhere. Tiffany is pragmatic and her story is not romanticized. She learns harsh lessons about life and is a stronger person for it.

The books read well and easily for adults, and I cannot recommend them enough.

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I picked the first Trudi Canavan novel but any and all would qualify.

Trudi’s books all feature strong female characters as well as LGBT characters portrayed positively and as fully rounded characters integral to the story and universe.

More than that they are fantastic stories set in believable and complex universes and deserve to be on any list of great fantasy stories, and on any fantasy readers bed side table.

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The protagonist in this book had a rough start as an orphan abused in a nunnery. Her tough-love father returns for her when she is eight years old. They both work for royals who use them. Despite this, Reveka holds no grudges, tries to do the right thing and works towards her impossible dream of becoming an herbalist. When a curse on the princesses of the castle starts hurting everyone, and the prize for breaking the curse would let her become an herbalist, she cleverly and sneakily takes matters into her own hands.

The most feminist aspects of this book are rather subtle. Reveka criticizes the status quo. She thinks of everyone’s well-being rather than trying to follow the rules. She is chastises the princesses for being selfish and using religious superstition as justification for letting others get hurt. There are no obvious male romantic interests. She admits to small attractions to a young boy and an older man, but those feelings are brushed aside in favor of practical matters. Reveka is even outraged by her father’s ridiculous love interest. This hero exhibits great critical thinking, independence and empathy.

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This is the first book in a quartet called Protector of the Small. Keladry is the first girl to take advantage of a new decree that women can become knights. She must overcome all kinds of prejudices and challenges in a male-dominated environment, but she won’t let anyone or anything stop her.

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